Oakland, CA -- The California warehouse called the Ghost Ship experienced a fire that killed 36 people. The code violations and cause of the fire are now starting to come to light.

The Ghost Ship had no smoke detectors and the second floor only had an exit that was one, makeshift staircase. Most of the victims died on the second floor, trapped by flames on the only exit. Many of the victims died from smoke inhalation before the flames reached the second floor.

An investigation has shown that the fire likely started from a refrigerator on the first floor. The electricity was amateur with extension cords and overloaded circuits. The fire sparked at the refrigerator, but was electrical in nature.

The victims were mostly artists in their 20s and 30s. One 17 year old was also killed.

The fire caused the electricity to go out within 30 seconds and the residents of the warehouse/makeshift artist studio/residence had a hard time escaping.

The Ghost Ship lacked proper permits. It was only permitted to be a warehouse. It also required permits to host events. The night of the fire, 100+ people were attending a party on the first floor. The lack of permits and full knowledge of what the space was being used for resulted in a lapse on proper inspections.

On November 13, the city of Oakland received complaints of unpermitted interior construction. On November 17, a building inspector visited the building and verified that the complaint could be valid, but was not able to enter the building.